U.S. Hiring Company to Check for port Nukes.

Did anyone else miss this story in the mess of the Dubai Port deal? The stories were largely concurrent, with the focus only on Dubai. There is some debate, but basic agreement, that this Hong Kong company (Hutchison Whampoa) has direct ties to regime in Beijing and the Communist Party (CP).

By TED BRIDIS and JOHN SOLOMON, Associated PressWriters12:28 PM PST, March 23, 2006 WASHINGTON -- In the aftermath of the Dubai portsdispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kongconglomerate to help detect nuclear materials insidecargo passing through the Bahamas to the United Statesand elsewhere. The administration acknowledges the no-bid contractwith Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first timea foreign company will be involved in running asophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseasport without American customs agents present. Freeport in the Bahamas is 65 miles from the U.S.coast, where cargo would be likely to be inspectedagain. The contract is currently being finalized. The administration is negotiating a second no-bidcontract for a Philippine company to install radiationdetectors in its home country, according to documentsobtained by The Associated Press. At dozens of otheroverseas ports, foreign governments are primarilyresponsible for scanning cargo.

The email debate beginning October of 2000 eventually encompassed a handful of other friends across the political spectrum and in person "Roundtables," as we termed them, every few weeks or so at a local restaurant. If that was you at the next table, our sincerest apologies, but these are important topics. It is these "roundtables" where we made considerable progress toward peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Tongue firmly in cheek.